Power rinse clothes washers

ABSTRACT

A clothes washing machine having an outer tub, an inner rotatable tub concentric therewith, a reciprocable agitator and means for selectively driving the agitator and inner tub is provided with means introducing water into the area between the inner tub and outer tub, preferably tangentially against the inner tub in its direction of rotation, at the time the inner tub begins its rotation.

United States Patent 1 1 1111 3,722,234

Douglas Mar. 27, 1973 [54] POWERRINSE CLOTHES WASHERS 1,892,441 12 1932 Wales et al. ..68/23.5 x

1,932,246 10/1933 Kirby ..l34/l39 UX 175 1 Inventor if? Douglas Bemus Pomt' 2,432,271 12/1947 13mm ..68/23.5 2,567,820 9/1951 Messerschmidt ..l34/l38 [73] Assignee: Blackstone Corporation, Jamestown,

NY. 1 Primary Examiner-Robert L. Bleutge [22] Filed: Dec. 24 1968 AttorneyEugene F. Buell [21] App]. No.: 786,682 57 ABSTRACT A clothes washing machine having an outer tub, an U-S. inner rotatable tub concentric therewith a reciproca. [5 Int. Clble agitator and means for electively driving the [58] Field of Search ..68/23.5, 148; 134/138, 139 agitator and inner tub is provided with means troducing water into the area between the inner tub [5 6] References C'ted and outer tub, preferably tangentially against the inner UNITED STATES PATENTS tub in its direction of rotation, at the time the inner tub begins its rotation.

2,571,438 10/1951 Gerhardtetal. ..l34/1l5 1,665,423 4/1928 Skelton ..134/138 3Claims,2Drawing Figures 11- N 1 1 0 l2 I 1o 0 2a 0 1 1 I; 3 1 11. 1 13 1 ,1a 1 11 1 1. 1 1 1 1 111 111 1 1 1' 210 1 1 I I 5 1 1 1 1 i i l1 '4 1111* 1 1 1 1 1 J1J /19 '1 I 11 11 1 PATENTEDHmHm INVENTOR.

PEYTON W. DOUGLAS his ATTORNEYS POWER RINSE CLOTHES WASHERS This invention relates to power rinse clothes washers and particularly to clothes washers in which rinse water is introduced between an outer stationary tub and an inner rotatable tub at the time the wash water is removed to break down the suds which are formed in the washing operation and which collect between the two tubs.

It is well known that, in automatic washers having an inner rotatable tub, an outer concentric stationary tub together with an axial reciprocable impeller and means for selectively reciprocating the impeller to wash and to rotate the inner tub or basket at high speed to extract the water from clothes contained therein, suds collect between the inner and outer tub as water is removed from the two tubs and are beaten up as the inner tub begins its rotation to the point that the inner tub is retarded and the extraction is incomplete. The result is that when the rinse operation occurs there is a very substantial carry-over of suds and entrapped soil into the rinse. This is highly undesirable and requires extra rinse operations with resultant loss of time and excess use of water.

In the present invention I provide a structure which eliminates these problems. In the washing machine of this invention, means are provided which break down the suds and aid in accelerating the spin cycle of the tub so that complete extraction of wash water and suds from the machine can occur.

Preferably, I provide a frame, an outer tub in said frame, an inner perforate rotatable tub in said frame, a reciprocable agitator in said rotatable tub, means for selectively reciprocating said agitator and for rotating said perforate tub, means for introducing water into the area between said outer tub, and said perforate tub during at least a part of the rotation of said perforate tub and means for removing water from said tubs. Preferably the means for introducing water into said area between said tubs is directional and the water is introduced in the direction of rotation of the inner per forate tub and against said perforate tub.

In the foregoing general description of my invention I have set out certain objects, purposes and advantages of my invention. Other objects, purposes and advantages will be apparent from a consideration of the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view, partly broken away of a clothes washing machine according to my invention; and

FIG. 2 is a top plan view, partly broken away of a washer according to FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings, l have illustrated a washing machine frame 10, an outer collector tub I 1 in said frame, a concentric perforate inner rotatable tub 12, an axial reciprocable agitator l3 concentric with both inner and outer tubs l2 and 13. The inner tub l2 and agitator 13 are selectively driven through a gear and clutch arrangement 14 and motor 15 mounted on frame 10. The gear and clutch arrangement 14 and motor drive may be that illustrated in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,215,232 or any other suitable drive arrangement. A pump 16 having an inlet connected to outer tub I 1 and an outlet to discharge to a suitable drain is provided on the frame. A tanagentially directed water spray head 17 1s fixed 1n the w l of outer tub 11 intermedlate its top and bottom and directed tangentially against the inner tub 12 in its direction of rotation. A water inlet line 18 connects the head 17 to a source of water 19 through a vacuum breaker 20. I

In operation the machine of my invention proceeds through the usual wash cycle with the agitator reciprocating and both tubs 11 and 12 stationary as described in my US. Pat. No. 3,215,232. At the end of the wash cycle, the motor 15 reverses, the agitator stops, the inner tub 12 starts to rotate and the pump 16 discharges water from the tubs l1 and 12. At this point water is sprayed through head 17 between tubs 11 and 12 and tangentially against tub 12. This breaks down the suds between the two tubs and assists the inner tub in its centrifugal motion, thus eliminating the problem of suds stalling or retarding of the rotation of the inner tub and also the problem of suds retention.

In the foregoing specification, l have set out certain preferred practices and embodiments of my invention,

however, it will be understood that this invention may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A clothes washing machine comprising a frame, an outer tub mounted in said frame, an inner perforate tub concentric with said outer tub and rotatable therein, an agitator reciprocable in said inner tub, means for selectively reciprocating said agitator and rotating said inner tub, means for introducing water tangentially of the inner periphery of the outer tub into the area between said inner and outer tubs when said inner tub begins its rotation and means on the frame connected to the outer tub removing water from said tubs.

2. A washing machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means for introducing water into the area between the inner and outer tubs is a spray head in the outer tub directed tangentially against the inner tub.

3. A clothes washing machine as claimed in claim 2 wherein the spray head is mounted in said outer tub adjacent the top thereof and is directed in the direction of rotation of the inner tub. 

1. A clothes washing machine comprising a frame, an outer tub mounted in said frame, an inner perforate tub concentric with said outer tub and rotatable therein, an agitator reciprocable in said inner tub, means for selectively reciprocating said agitator and rotating said inner tub, means for introducing water tangentially of the inner periphery of the outer tub into the area between said inner and outer tubs when said inner tub begins its rotation and means on the frame connected to the outer tub removing water from said tubs.
 2. A washing machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means for introducing water into the area between the inner and outer tubs is a spray head in the outer tub directed tangentially against the inner tub.
 3. A clothes washing machine as claimed in claim 2 wherein the spray head is mounted in said outer tub adjacent the top thereof and is directed in the direction of rotation of the inner tub. 